Programmes and agreements / prg-kr-nssc-smr-pre-review

Korea's NSSC SMR regulatory roadmap and pre-review system (companies signal intent, 2026)

South Korea's nuclear regulator announced an SMR regulatory roadmap in February 2026 and a pre-review system starting in November 2026 that examines parts of a design before formal licensing. In July 2026 it said about three domestic and foreign companies had signalled intent to apply, reportedly including TerraPower and Saltfoss Energy. No application, project or site exists yet.

Not a deployment project. SMR plans, agreements, studies and government programmes that are not (yet) a single deployment project. They are listed separately and are never counted as projects or reactors.

Type

Government programme

Countries concerned

South Korea

Participants and roles

• Government: Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC)
• Other participant: TerraPower
• Other participant: Saltfoss Energy

Designs named

—

Scale as stated

regulatory programme (no units)

Announced or first reported

Feb 2026

Status

Active
Pre-review system starts November 2026, about three companies have signalled intent but no formal application, law revisions planned from 2028. No project or site.

Confidence

low

Last checked

2026-10-14 (record review date, not proof of current activity)

Related deployment projects

• No related deployment project is recorded here.

Sources

• SMR 건설 빨라지나…“국내외 기업 3곳, 사전검토 신청 의향 표명” (reputable_press, published 16 Jul 2026, accessed 2026-10-14)